London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for air conditioning to be installed in schools, offices, and hospitals across the capital as heatwaves become more frequent. The announcement came as Khan unveiled Heat Ready London, a city-wide strategy designed to help the capital adapt and better prepare for extreme heat events.
Climate Projections and Vulnerable Infrastructure
Climate projections suggest London could face two to three times more heatwaves in the next 20 years. Around one million homes are at serious risk of overheating, alongside 1,361 schools, 60 hospitals, and 351 care homes. A report from City Hall urges stronger protections for people most vulnerable to extreme heat, alongside measures to retrofit buildings, expand access to cooling spaces, and strengthen the resilience of infrastructure.
Record-Breaking Wildfires
Last year, London Fire Brigade had its busiest summer since the extreme wildfires of 2022. Firefighters attended around 83 wildfires across the capital between June and August, more than double the total number of wildfires recorded in 2023 and a 32% increase on 2024.
Current Heatwave and Urban Heat Island Effect
A Met Office red warning for extreme heat is in place until 9pm on Friday. London is frequently the hottest place in the UK because of the urban heat island effect, which is driven by modification of land surfaces and heat-absorbing building materials. The current heatwave is driven by a “heat-dome” – an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat – settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent.
Call to Action
Referring to his new heat resilience strategy, Sadiq Khan said: "This is a new vision that will help tackle the huge obstacles we face with rising temperatures. No single organisation can address the scale of the challenge alone so this is a call to action to our partners to use this framework to drive collective delivery so we can protect lives and strengthen the resilience of our city."
